Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. - The Vikings beefed up their offensive line in the draft when they took Wyatt Davis with the 86th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft last Friday.

Davis, who played guard at Ohio State, was the second and final offensive lineman selected by Minnesota in this year's draft, joining first-rounder Christian Darrisaw.

Vikings Select Ohio State Guard Wyatt Davis with 86th Overall Pick 2021 Minnesota Vikings Draft Picks

Here are five things to know about the new Vikings interior offensive lineman.

1. Big-time Buckeye

Davis put together an illustrious career with Ohio State, capping off his time in college with 24 straight starts in his final three seasons. He really excelled in his redshirt sophomore and junior seasons, earning First-Team All-American honors in 2019 and 2020 for his play at right guard.

Davis, a team captain in 2020, also earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors in his final two seasons as a Buckeye. He capped off his time at Ohio State by winning the 2020 Big Ten Conference Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year Award, becoming the first guard in program history to earn that accolade.

2. Top recruit

Davis' decorated college career wasn't a surprise after he was the No. 1 guard prospect in the nation out of high school for the 2017 class. A five-star recruit, Davis starred at St. John Bosco High School and was a teammate of current NFL quarterback Josh Rosen.

His strong play along the offensive line helped St. John Bosco win 38 games in his final three seasons, including a 13-win season and a Division I CIF championship in 2016. Davis was named a U.S. Army All-American and the Los Angeles Times' Southern California Player of the Year.

3. Value at No. 86

Many draft experts were surprised to see Davis still on the board in the third round and praised the Vikings for getting tremendous value with him at No. 86.

In fact, a glance at a trio of pre-draft big boards shows that Davis was among the highest-ranked guards in the draft class, with many experts expecting him to go earlier in the third round.

The big board at CBS Sports had Davis as the No. 42 overall player in the draft, while analytics website Pro Football Focus had Davis at No. 61 overall. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Davis as the 63rd-best player in the draft.

4. NFL bloodlines

Davis' grandfather has ties to the NFL, and a team the Vikings know well. He is the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis, who passed away in April 2020.

Willie Davis played two seasons for the Browns before he was traded to Green Bay, where he didn't miss a game in 10 seasons from 1960-1969 as a defensive lineman. A five-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler, Willie Davis was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 1960s All-Decade Team.

Willie Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, and later became a member of the Packers Board of Directors.

Jamaal Stephenson, the Vikings Director of College Scouting, had a good line when asked during draft weekend about Wyatt Davis' lineage.

"Very smart. He comes from a great pedigree," Stephenson said of Wyatt Davis. "His grandfather was the great Willie Davis, a former Packer - we won't hold that against him."

5. A Twins connection (kind of)

Davis' father, Duane, played for the Minnesota Twins ... in the 1994 film "Little Big League."

Duane Davis plays the character of Jerry, a favorite player of 12-year-old owner/manager Billy Heywood. Although Jerry gets released midway through the film, he returns at the end to be the team's hitting coach.

Duane Davis also starred in "The Program" as middle linebacker Alvin Mack, and also had appearances in "Necessary Roughness" and "Beetlejuice."